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Poster:	unclejohn52	Date:	November 10, 2011 10:48:59am
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Sorry...does ANYONE actually read 'Reviews'?

Agree with the basic thrust... When I was a noob at the archive, I did read, or skimmed reviews, but soon realized that almost everyone was dishing 5 stars and most detractions were for sound quality, not performance, rendering most reviews meaningless. If i've landed on a show, it's usually due to somebody's rec - so I'll pay attention if somebody claims a particularly fine version of this or that. Hyperbole kills most reviews - how many "epic" versions of Wharf Rat are there? For me, none - they were great and stand alone, or they just WERE.

As fans, none of us are real critics - our bias is on display. (no Pauline Kaels among us.) The best reviews are short and sweet, noting the highlights. Song-by-song analysis is probably suited for a personal log - anything that long has meaning only to each listener.